The chinese medicinal herb farm

Contents

Foreword, ix Preface, xi Acknowledgments, xiii Tables and Maps, xvi Part One: Cultivating to Conserve Connecting with Quality Asian Botanicals Chapter One: Farming to Be Part of the Solution, 3 Evolving Herbal Traditions • Risks to the Future of Herbalism • Solutions for Continued Availability Chapter Two: Herb Quality, 8 Wild Quality • Assessing Herb Quality • Regulating Herbs • Like Fine Wines . . .

Chapter Three: Cultivation in the Nursery, Garden, and Field, 16 Planning • Seed Starting and Propagation • Managing Your Soil • Planting • Seasonal Care • Managing Invasive Plant Risk Chapter Four: The Harvest and Marketing, 53 Harvesting Medicine • Drying Herb Crops • Storing Dried Herbs • Shipping Fresh or Dry Herbs • Collecting and Saving Seed for Sowing • Selling What You Grow • Good Agricultural Practices • Make Alliances Chapter Five: Conservation and Global Trade in Medicinal Plants, 65 Current Status: Factors and Reasons for Concern • Who Needs Protection? • Protective Measures • How Effective Are the Protective Strategies? • Cultivate to Conserve • How to Be Part of the Solution

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Part Two: Medicinal Herb Profiles Acanthopanax gracilistylus, wŭ jiā pí, 75 Achyranthes bidentata, Oxknee, huái niú xī, 78 Agastache rugosa, Korean Mint, tŭ huò xiāng, 80 Albizia julibrissin, Mimosa, hé huān pí/huā, 83 Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale, Water Plantain, zé xiè, 86 Allium macrostemon, xiè bái, 88 Allium tuberosum, Garlic Chives, jiǔ cài zǐ, 90 Andrographis paniculata, Kalmegh, chuān xīn lián, 93 Anemarrhena asphodeloides, zhī mŭ, 95 Angelica dahurica, bái zhĭ, 97 Angelica pubescens, dú huó, 100 Angelica sinensis, Dang Gui, dāng guī, 103 Arctium lappa, Burdock, niú bàng zĭ, 106 Artemisia annua, Sweet Annie, qīng hāo, 109 Asparagus cochinchinensis, tiān mén dōng, 111 Aster tataricus, Tartar Aster, zĭ wǎn, 114 Astragalus membranaceus, Milk Vetch, huáng qí, 116 Atractylodes macrocephala, Chinese Thistle Daisy, bái zhú, 118 Bacopa monnieri, Brahmi, 121 Belamcanda chinensis, Blackberry Lily, shè gān, 123 Bupleurum chinense, Hare’s Ear, chái hú, 125 Carthamus tinctorius, Safflower, hóng huā, 128 Celosia argentea, qīng xiāng zǐ, 131 Celosia cristata, Cockscomb, jī guān huā, 133 Centella asiatica, Gotu Kola, jī xuě cǎo, 135 Chrysanthemum morifolium, Mum, jú huā, 138 Clerodendrum trichotomum, Glorybower, chòu wú tóng, 141 Codonopsis pilosula, Poor Man’s Ginseng, dǎng shēn, 144 Coix lacryma-jobi, Job’s Tears, yì yĭ rén, 146 Cornus officinalis, Dogwood, shān zhū yú, 149

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THE HARVEST AND MARKETING

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store on-stem and will need to be garbled or riddled to reduce their size or separate the leaf from the stem. We use framed stainless steel screens of different gauges positioned over bins for this task. With a flat hand, simply roll the bunched herb against the screen—the leaves will fall through the holes into the bins. When the stem is traditionally included in the herb we often hold the bunch upside down and move it back and forth over the screen so that the leaves and stems break off and fall into the bin together.

Some buyers ask for “cut and sift” (herb particles all of uniform size); tea companies and retail stores often request this. You can use the same screens, or seed screens, to prepare cut and sift herb product.

Ask for specifics before accepting any contracts.

A hammermill is a size-reducing machine and is an ideal tool for producing herbs of differing sizes. (This is a different tool from the powdering machines for herb encapsulation.) Hammermills for plant material are not that easy to come by—nor are they cheap; look for a secondhand machine. The investment depends on the market segment one is after—you might consider one after a few years of production.

Assign a traceable unique lot number to each harvest and record weights before and after drying.

There are many complicated systems for lot numbering of harvested herbs. In light of transparency I want people to know when our herbs were harvested, so my lot number is comprised of the date harvested, location, and the first two letters of the genus and species. For example, 113010E2WS means November 30, 2010, from block E in bed 2 and the herb is Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha).

This number is recorded in the farm database (mentioned in chapter 3), which interfaces with the documents that I need to submit for my organic certification. Lot numbers appear on all dried herb package labels as well.

Store herbs in bins with tight fitting lids, or use large, thick, recloseable plastic bags. Large glass jars are good for storing a small amount of herb. Be sure to label all containers with the herb name and lot

Riddling Artemisia argyi (moxa, aì yè) on a one-inch screen is a good way to break the leaves off the stem material.

The riddled product from the previous picture—the fragrance is strong!

Open Air Drying Many old texts will mention drying outside in the open air. I do not recommend this practice. Sunlight rapidly degrades the herb and the product can reabsorb moisture at night—and birds might leave their droppings.

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PART TWO — HERB PROFILES

Dry Acanthopanax root bark (wŭ jiā pí).

Anemarrhena asphodeloides, zhī mŭ Belamcanda chinensis, Blackberry Lily, shè gān Clerodendrum trichotomum, Glorybower, chòu wú tóng Cornus officinalis, Dogwood, shān zhū yú Crataegus pinnatifida, Chinese Hawthorn, shān zhā Eriobotrya japonica, Loquat, pí pá yè Eucommia ulmoides, Hardy Rubber Tree, dù zhòng Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo, bái guŏ Ligusticum jeholense, Chinese Lovage, gǎo běn Lilium lancifolium, L. brownii, Lily, bǎi hé Magnolia denudata, xīn yí huā Platycodon grandiflorus, Balloon Flower, jié gěng Salvia miltiorrhiza, S. przewalskii, S. bowleyana, Red Sage, dān shēn Saposhnikovia divaricata, Siler, fáng fēng Scutellaria baicalensis, Baikal Skullcap, huáng qín

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Field Production

For production purposes one-year-old nurserygrown plants can be set on three-foot centers (as opposed to garden specimens, which need more space and are more horizontal in habit than many other members of this plant family). Plant in full sun except in hot summer areas (there, plant in part shade and give moderate amounts of water). Prune while the plant is winter dormant to keep in bounds and away from pathways. Try planting Acanthopanax down the center of a four-foot bed, with smaller root herbs placed at the sides for harvest at the same time or a season before. Due to the thorny nature of Acanthopanax, avoid planting leaf or seed crops nearby.

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Crataegus pinnatifida, Chinese Hawthorn, shān zhā, 151 Cyathula officinalis, Hookweed, chuān niú xī, 154 Dianthus superbus, Fringed Pink, qú mài, 157 Dioscorea opposita, Chinese Yam, shān yào, 159 Dolichos lablab, Hyacinth Bean, bái biǎn dòu, 162 Eclipta prostrata, Eclipta, mò hàn lián, 164 Ephedra sinica, Ephedra, má huáng/má huáng gēn, 166 Eriobotrya japonica, Loquat, pí pá yè, 169 Eucommia ulmoides, Hardy Rubber Tree, dù zhòng, 172 Fallopia multiflora, Fo Ti, shŏu wū, yè jīao téng, 174 Forsythia suspensa, lián qiào, 177 Gentiana scabra, lóng dǎn cǎo, 180 Gentiana straminea, qín jiāo, 182 Ginkgo biloba, Gingko, bái guŏ, 184 Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Chinese Licorice, gān cǎo, 187 Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Sweet Tea Vine, jiǎo gŭ lán, 190 Houttuynia cordata, yú xīng cǎo, 192 Ligusticum jeholense, Chinese Lovage, gǎo běn, 195 Ligustrum lucidum, Chinese Privet, nŭ zhēn zĭ, 199 Lilium lancifolium, Lily, bǎi hé, 200 Lonicera japonica, Honeysuckle, jīn yín huā, 203 Lycium chinense, Chinese Wolfberry, gŏu qĭ zĭ, dì gŭ pí, 206 Magnolia denudata, xīn yí huā, 209 Mentha haplocalyx, Field Mint, bò hé, 211 Momordica charantia, Bitter Melon, kǔ guā, 214 Ocimum sanctum, Sacred Basil, Tulsi, 216 Ophiopogon japonicus, Lilyturf, mài mén dōng, 219 Paeonia lactiflora, Chinese Peony, bái/chì sháo, 222 Paeonia suffructicosa, Tree Peony, mŭ dān pí, 225 Panax ginseng, Asian Ginseng, rén shēn, 228 Panax quinquefolius, American Ginseng, xī yáng shēn, 231

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Pinellia ternata, bàn xià, 234 Plantago asiatica, Plantain, chē qián zĭ, 237 Platycodon grandiflorus, Balloon Flower, jié gěng, 239 Prunella vulgaris, Heal All, xià kū cǎo, 242 Rehmannia glutinosa, Chinese Foxglove, dì huáng, 244 Rheum palmatum, Chinese Rhubarb, dà huáng, 247 Salvia miltiorrhiza, Red Sage, dān shēn, 250 Saposhnikovia divaricata, Siler, fáng fēng, 253 Schisandra chinensis, Five Flavored Fruit, wŭ wèi zĭ, 255 Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Japanese Catnip, jīng jiè, 257 Scrophularia buergeriana, Figwort, běi xuán shēn, 260 Scutellaria baicalensis, Baikal Skullcap, huáng qín, 263 Scutellaria barbata, Barbat Skullcap, bàn zhī lián, 265 Sophora flavescens, kǔ shēn, 268 Trichosanthes kirilowii, Chinese Cucumber, guā lóu, tiān huā fěn, 270 Withania somnifera, Ashwagandha, 273 Ziziphus jujuba, Chinese Date, dà zǎo, 276 Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, suān zǎo rén, 279 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Plant and Medicinal Name Cross-Reference Lists, 281 APPENDIX B: Maps, 287 APPENDIX C: Resources, 291 APPENDIX D: Recommended Reading, 293 Glossary, 295 Endnotes, 297 Index, 303 About the Authors, 313

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